Web Development

Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet or a private network. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, and social network services. A more comprehensive list of tasks to which web development commonly refers, may include web engineering, web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development.

“Web development” usually refers to the main non-design aspects of building web sites: writing markup and coding. Most recently Web development has come to mean the creation and usage of content management systems (CMS). These CMS’ can be made from scratch, proprietary or open source. A CMS acts as a middleman between the database and the user through the browser. A principle benefit of a CMS is that it allows non-technical people to make changes to their web site without having technical knowledge.

A web developer builds and maintains content for the web, targeting different platforms, including the desktop, tablets, and handheld mobile devices, and can broadly be categorized as a front-end, back-end or full stack developer. Front end developers focus on what’s in front of users, while back end developers work with the technology that connects to databases and other software that is hidden from the users. Full-stack developers are involved with the entire stack, the technologies used in the front as well as on the back end.

A Front-end Developer works with languages that render in the browser – primarily, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

A Back-end web Developer is responsible for server-side web application logic and integration of the work front-end web developers do. Back-end developers usually write web services and APIs used by front-end developers and mobile application developers. Languages a back-end developer might use include PHP, Python, and many others.

A Full Stack Developer is someone with familiarity in each layer, if not mastery in many and a genuine interest in all software technology. Good developers who are familiar with the entire stack know how to make life easier for those around them.